Sea Shepherd captain reports from the high seas

The Australian Government is considering a request from the Japanese to help secure the release of two protesters being held aboard a Japanese whaling ship in the southern ocean. Ali Moore speaks with Paul Watson, the captain of the Sea Shepherd vessel, the 'Steve Irwin'.

Transcript

ALI MOORE: First to the continuing stand-off over the fate of the two anti whaling activists being held on board a Japanese whaling ship in the Southern Ocean. The Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has called for restraint from both sides. Meanwhile, officials in Tokyo have asked for help to transfer the two members of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the Australian Government has responded by offering the use of the customs ship the 'Oceanic Viking', which is in the area. In a moment, I'm be speaking to the Foreign Minister, Stephen Smith. But first, we cross to the Southern Ocean where a short time ago, I spoke to Paul Watson, captain of the Sea Shepherd.

Paul Watson, Australia's Foreign Minister Stephen Smith has announced that the Customs' ship 'Oceanic Viking' is on standby to get your crew off the Japanese whaling vessel and back to you on the 'Steve Irwin'. He's asked for your full cooperation, will you give it?

PAUL WATSON, CAPTAIN, SEA SHEPHERD VESSEL 'STEVE IRWIN': Yes, we certainly would, but nobody from the Government has been in contact with us. And I don't know where the 'Oceanic Viking' is, we're right near the 'Yushin Maru No.2', but we'd certainly cooperate. We'd like to get them back.

ALI MOORE: So you can't see the 'Oceanic Viking' at the moment?

PAUL WATSON: No, we sent the helicopter up and it's not in this area, I'm not sure where it is.

ALI MOORE: If, of course, it does appear if the Government or the 'Oceanic Viking' does get in contact with you, you are prepared to cooperate?

PAUL WATSON: Oh, absolutely.

ALI MOORE: Whether or not the Japanese have attached conditions to that transfer?

PAUL WATSON: Oh well, I'm not going along with any conditions.

ALI MOORE: So if the previous condition that you halt all protest action is attached to this transfer via the 'Oceanic Viking' it's not happening as far as you're concerned?

PAUL WATSON: I don't acquiesce to terrorist demands and that's what that is. Holding hostages and making demands is a terrorist tactic.

ALI MOORE: You talk about terrorist demands, but if your crew are returned safely would you do this again - illegally board a flagged vessel and indeed using stink bombs and also prop ropes attempt to vandalise that vessel?

PAUL WATSON: We didn't illegally board them, we went on board with a letter of intent. There's a precedent set for that and it would be a good defence if there was any charges. So they did not illegally board them, but also keep in mind the Japanese are not, they're poaching vessels, they are down here illegally killing whales, illegally, targeting endangered species illegally. We board poaching vessels all the time in the Galapagos... I personally boarded 65 poaching vessels in my career and that's the only way you can police them. You board illegally operated vessels and you order them to stop their illegal activity, nothing wrong with that. People have got to stop thinking about the Japanese as some sort of legitimate operation. These people are no different than elephant poachers in Africa or tiger poachers in India.

ALI MOORE: You did board a vessel without authorisation regardless of your intent and regardless of whether there was intent for piracy, you can't run around the oceans jumping onto other people's ships?

PAUL WATSON: You can run around the ocean jumping on poacher's vessels. They're targeting endangered species and whale sanctuaries, in violation of a global moratorium. The United Nations' world charter of nature on section of implementation under Section 21 E allows for non-government organisations to uphold international conservation law. So, we are authorised to do that. These are poachers, I'm trying to get that through to people. They are poachers.

ALI MOORE: As a captain, Paul Watson, where do you draw the line? What's paramount, safety of your crew, the safety of those around you?

PAUL WATSON: The law, that's what's paramount, upholding the law. International law, they are in violation of. They are killing 1,000 whales down here illegally, that is our concern, that's what we're stopping. They haven't killed a whale in a week. We have been successful, we're going to try to get them to not kill a whale for another week and maybe another week after that. We shouldn't be down here, the government of Australia should be down here. If these were you are Uruguayan tooth fish poachers the government would be down here boarding them, seizing them, arresting them and putting them in jail. The only difference between Japan and Uruguay is Uruguay is a poor country and Japan's a wealthy trading nation. How is that it's illegal to catch a fish down here and you go to jail, but if you kill a whale and if you're Japanese, nothing is done about it?

ALI MOORE: The Australian Federal Police are now in fact, looking at the action of your two crewmen, do you feel totally confident there will not be any charges made?

PAUL WATSON: There will not be any charges made because they would never stick up in court... In Tokyo, they went on board with a letter of intent and there's precedent set for that.

ALI MOORE: So I take it from that, that if they are returned safely you'll turn right around and do the same thing again?

PAUL WATSON: That's neither a no or a yes, it depends on the circumstances.

ALI MOORE: Well let me ask you, if you can get the crew returned, what is the next step for the 'Steve Irwin' and the Sea Shepherd group?

PAUL WATSON: Our next step is to continue to stop their illegal whaling operations any way we possibly can short of causing injury to their crew. We're not protesting their whaling operations, we're not protesting them. What we are doing is interfering with illegal activities. This is an interventionist operation not a protest organisation.